This week started with North from Cairns around the coast to Port Douglas
We have finally seen the sugar cane being harvested and loaded into the truck containers or the rail wagons. The cane is harvested in relatively small blocks within the huge paddocks.
Port Douglas looked very much like a boating tourist town. Heaps of flash Lodges and Hotels.
The Port is full of yachts and power boats to head out to the Reef.
Further north and crossing on the vehicle ferry to the Daintree Nat. Park
This was a great spot. Mostly beaches and the thick coastal rainforest.
At last behind our campsite we saw Cassowaries in the wild. A Mum, Dad and last years chick.
The chick was so friendly/aggressive that Dave had to fend off with a stick.
Luckily the parents were not bothered. These birds can be very aggressive and dangerous.
The photos are not good as it was late afternoon and dark in the forest.
These were the only Cassowaries we saw in the 3 days we were in the Park!!
A tea plantation amongst the trees.
Lots of great beaches but nobody swimming. Stingers, jellyfish and Crocodiles!!!
Another swamp bird seen. Orange footed Scrub Fowl.
Swamps, roots and Boardwalks.
Now heading back South, West then inland and North to Cookstown.
Fred's lookout looking North towards Cooktown.
Black mountain. One of two basalt domes just out of Cooktown.
Very important to the Indigenous people.
Our campsite.
The main street. Cooktown was a gold centre in the mid 1880's and there would have been dozens of Pubs in the main street. Also named as Captain Cook was here for a month fixing his ship in 1770.
The local museum that used to be a Nunnery. The only building left standing after the 1907 cyclone.
One of Captain Cook's canons recovered from the reef when 6 were thrown overboard to float his ship clear.
Views from grassy Point out over the Reef and over Cooktown.
Believe it or not this is Mt Cook.
We have now climbed Mt Cook all 413 mtrs. Not quite like our Mt Cook Aorangi but we have climbed it.
View on the way up.
How is this for a welcome in the visitors book at the top?
We were told a Carpet snake and not dangerous.
Views on the track to the top.
Back south again and we had to have a 2 night stop at free camp out of Mareeba to fix a broken windscreen! Popular campsite.
The park-over was on the site of the largest army field hospital in the southern hemi. in WW2.
Over the hills and past the windfarm to head west on the Savannah Highway heading for Undara.
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